Memory
by Shinn Asuka- Destiny's Warrior
Summary: Because memorys never fade, and the past will always catch up. Based on the Danger Days universe by My Chemical Romance. OCs and our favourite Killjoys. My first fic in ages, please be gentle! COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1

**Memory**

**Disclaimer: **I'm sad to say that I do not own My Chemical Romance or their respective Killjoys. I do, however, have a bunch of OCs in here that are based upon, and shared by, myself, my good friends, and some of my fellow members of . Please, if for any reason, you would like to use these characters for your own works, drop me a pm and let me know ^_^~  
>Also, on that note, I know that from Wolfbane17's upcoming fanfic chapter that she has included a few other OC Killjoys into Zone 7. There is still room for these other OC Killjoys in later chapters and fics, so please make yourselves known to me in a pm if you would like your OC to be in my fics too! =^.^=<p>

**Author's Note: ** It's been years since I have attempted to write any fanfiction. My account has been ignored for way too long. I would like to apologise for that. I do aim to be more proactive on here – though at the moment, I'm just seeing how well/badly this fic of mine goes.  
>This fic was initially intended as a one-shot to accompany one of my 100 Themes Challenges on my DeviantArt account (NekoFlameAlchemist if anybody is interested) but after I discovered how long it was getting, I decided that I would have to split it up into chapters. Nevertheless, the theme is still the same as initially intended.<br>I would like to say thank you to Wolfbane17 for her inspiration and constant prodding for me to write. Her fanfic 'Five Times Someone Saved Party Poison and One Time They Couldn't' was what got me back into writing after she requested for some OC Killjoys. I have, with her permission, related to some events mentioned in her fanfic, so if you haven't already read it, you should definitely check it out as it's awesome!  
>Also, thanks to my friends who submitted some OC Killjoys to me, and to my boyfriend and my best friend for having the patience to let me stress over our Killjoy cosplays – hey, it paid off! We got into a music video on YouTube XD (again, for anyone remotely interested, if you search "cosplay fever pink", that's how I found the video – it's called Cosplay Fever - Raise Your Glass)<p>

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><p><strong>Chapter One<strong>

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><p>"Out of medical supplies again, huh?" Mercurial Crash couldn't help but arch an eyebrow at the two Killjoys that stood before her. "You guys just can't seem to keep out of trouble, can you?" she glanced at the red haired male in front of her. "At least you're still in one piece, Party Poison. Lady Luck damn near had a heart attack when she found out why your brother had come to us so hastily, trying to trade off some medication for his ba-"<p>

"Crash, don't keep our guests waiting at the door!" chided another female Killjoy, slightly shorter than Mercurial Crash, with short, bright pink hair. She nudged her fellow Killjoy and whispered in her ear. "Besides, we don't know if Kobra has told Party about his missing bass yet."

Mercurial Crash's eyes widened a little in realisation before she seemed to quickly mask over her expression with a sheepish grin, running her hand through her slightly wavy, brown hair.

"Ha ha! Sorry! Where are my manners?" she laughed nervously before inviting the two Zone Six Killjoys into the old day unit of the long-abandoned hospital that they called their home. "Can we get you anything? A drink? Some Power Pup?"

We're probably not staying too long," Party Poison replied. "We were wondering if you had any pain pills and ointment spare. We used the last of the supplies the other day."

"Everything okay?" asked the pink haired Killjoy, slightly concerned now. "Are Kobra and Ghoul alright?"

"They're fine, Space Biscuit," Jet Star replied. "The only mishap was that Fun Ghoul burned his hand trying to fix up the Trans-Am's engine the other day. Our trip today is purely because I hadn't realised how low on medical supplies we were until yesterday during a routine check."

"And what about just a good old courtesy call to see if we are still alive?" came another voice. Another female Killjoy stepped into the room, casually running a hand through her long, dark, wavy hair. "When was the last time you guys dropped by just because you missed us?"

"Uh, well how about now, Lady Luck?" Party Poison laughed a little nervously at the latest Killjoy to enter the room, noticing how her gaze was mostly fixated on him. The red haired Killjoy coughed and cleared his throat before trying to change the subject. "So, where's Sugar Fiend? It's unlike like her to not be here to say hello by now."

At Party Poison's words, the three Zone Seven Killjoys fell into an awkward silence, glancing at each other. Party Poison and Jet Star picked up on the sudden change of mood and immediately exchanged slightly worried glances of their own. In the end, the unnerving silence was broken by a new voice.

"She refuses to leave her room," a male Killjoy with paw print tattoos on his neck and pierced ears let out a small sigh and leaned against a door frame, addressing everybody in the room. "She's been in there since the gunfight two mornings ago against a group of Dracs. She won't listen to any of us."

Space Biscuit's frown deepened. "She's not going to do herself any favours hiding away like that, but we can't help her if she won't listen."

Party Poison tilted his head questioningly at Jet Star before looking back at the solemn Zone Seven Killjoys. "What happened?"

Lady Luck shrugged. "Don't ask me. Sugar Fiend started acting odd after her ray gun got damaged when some idiot Drac got a lucky shot and blasted her gun from her hand. If you ask me, she's damn lucky that she didn't lose her hand with it!"

"I believe there may be more to things than that," Space Biscuit sighed. "Did you notice what damage had been done to that ray gun?"

"Luckily, mostly paint damage," Lady Luck replied, running her hand through her hair again, shaking it out a little before turning to the paw-print-tattooed Killjoy. "Hey, Wolf Venom, did you manage to take a look at it and see if it could still fire?"

The male Killjoy shook his head. "The most I managed to get out of her was that it was still operational. She refused to let me take a look at it and give it a thorough check when I offered."

Space Biscuit sighed and shook her head. "None of you get it, do you?" she asked. "Yes, Sugar Fiend's ray gun still works, but the paint job was ruined. Half of the text on one side has been scorched off."

"The writing on the side?" echoed Mercurial Crash. "What does that have to do with... oh... Oh!" her grey-blue eyes widened in realisation before her expression changed to one of sadness and concern. "Oh... I hadn't thought about that."

Party Poison and Jet Star exchanged yet another look of confusion between themselves before the red haired Killjoy spoke up. "Uh... I feel like we're missing out on something that may be somewhat crucial to understanding this entire conversation and situation," he folded his arms across his chest. "Would somebody care to explain?"

The Zone Seven Killjoys were silent for a as they looked at each other. If Jet Star and Party Poison hadn't known any better, they would have thought that the Killjoys before them were engaging in some sort of telepathic conversation. One which they had been excluded from. However, after a couple of minutes, Space Biscuit took it upon herself to speak up, clearing her throat uncomfortably before looking up at the red haired Killjoy and his frizzy haired partner.

"Sugar Fiend probably hasn't told you much about another Killjoy called Sonic Zombie, has she?" the pink haired Killjoy asked in a rhetorical tone. "He was one of our friends that was travelling with us when we got caught up in the nuclear blasts and were stranded here. He was a really good friend. Liked to goof about a lot and make jokes, but I think that was primarily to try and keep everybody's spirits up about our whole situation with BL/Ind," Space Biscuit managed a soft snort, her corners of her lips twitching up into a small smile at some fond, unspoken memories before the expression faded into a lop-sided grimace. "He was Sugar Fiend's boyfriend."

At Space Biscuit's words – and the tone of them – Party Poison and Jet Star knew that this was not going to be a story with a stereotypically happy ending. But these days, not a lot of tales were. Especially ones that involved fellow Killjoys.

Space Biscuit let out a small sigh, her gaze unable to continue meeting both those of the two Zone Six Killjoys and that of her fellow teammates and friends. "I'm going to cut a long story short because I don't want to keep both of you away from the others back in Zone Six for too long," she said, her voice unnaturally flat, almost emotionless. "We had another Killjoy, who was also one of our close friends. Not as close as I am to Sugar Fiend, but we knew her well enough to trust her. And we did. In fact, we had so much faith in her as a friend, none of us realised that she had started to switch alliances. Not until she had lured us into a trap with Korse and a S.A.C.A.R.E.C.R.O.W. Unit," Space Biscuit's green-brown eyes narrowed and she almost seemed to be glaring a hole through the ground in front of her, her hands clenching into fists. "We'd fought against loads of Dracs before, but the S.C.A.R.E.C.R.O.W. Unit... They were really something else. We were utterly outnumbered. And all because of _her_."

Jet Star shifted a little uncomfortably where he stood, glancing briefly at the other Zone Seven Killjoys in the room. All of them had stoic expressions on their faces. He guessed that he could only imagine what it had felt like for them to fall foul of BL/Ind and their elite unit. And all because of the horrible actions caused by somebody they had all known and trusted. Jet Star's forehead furrowed as he tried to associate with such a betrayal: It would be the equivalent of somebody like him or Fun Ghoul turning traitor. The thoughts of actions like that was enough to fill him with anger and upset. He couldn't even begin to comprehend just _why _somebody – a Killjoy, no less – would willingly cooperate with a power-hungry tyrant like the Better Living Industries.

"During the fire fight against Korse and his S.C.A.R.E.C.R.O.W. Unit, we had made a unanimous decision to retreat," Space Biscuit continued, looking at her comrades almost as if for them to silently back up her statement that they had all agreed on escaping. "But it seemed that there was only one escape route, and that our chances of all getting out alive were pretty slim as they would follow us. Hell, we were extremely lucky to even have that single point of exit. It was only because we had some unexpected help from a fellow Killjoy," she motioned towards Wolf Venom with a grateful nod. "That we were able to escape," a pause. "Well, most of us, that is."

The pink haired Killjoy stopped for a moment, glancing at her teammates again, almost as if silently asking for their approval to continue with the account of what had happened that hellish day. Lady Luck, Mercurial Crash and Wolf Venom all gave her a short nod in confirmation and she closed her eyes almost painfully for a moment before speaking again, her voice quieter than before, as if afraid that somebody could be listening in on the conversation.

"All of us were a little panicked about the situation. We had never seen Korse before. Or a S.C.A.R.E.C.R.O.W. Unit. We just wanted to get the hell out of there," Space Biscuit didn't maintain eye contact with anyone as she continued. "And in the hurry to escape, we got careless. Mercurial Crash had sprained her ankle quite badly, trying to avoid getting ghosted. So we were trying to flank her and help her out whilst returning fire." At her words, Mercurial Crash's cheeks flushed a little in embarrassment and Wolf Venom put a reassuring hand on her shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. He knew, as well as the rest of them, that they did not blame her for what had happened. To this day, all the blame was directed to the same person who had willingly turned them into BL/Ind. And for what? Just because she had been sick of surviving on Power Pup and was not sleeping in a five star hotel? As if BL/Ind would keep their promises to a Killjoy...

"Korse could see that one of our team was struggling and he tried to block off our escape route," Space Biscuit fiddled with her lip piercing as she spoke. "And that's when Sugar Fiend had stepped in, trying to cause a distraction and clear the path for the rest of us. None of us knew how inhuman this guy was. We had all though that the stories we'd heard about him had been blown out of proportion. He almost killed her that day."

The silence in the room seemed pretty uncomfortable by this point. The Zone Seven Killjoys usually tried not to remember the events of that day. They hardly spoke about it amongst themselves, let alone with anybody else. Even Party Poison and Jet Star felt a little unnerved. They had never experienced this side to their Zone Seven counterparts. It was definitely an eye-opener, though they were not sure if they preferred this new side of them to how they usually were. However, they understood the severity of their past encounter with Korse and his men. It was a situation that most Killjoys would never want to be in. Not to mention, the Zone Six Killjoys definitely owed their comrades their support. Especially after the amount of times that they had helped them out with medical supplies and whatnot.

"Korse has always been a powerful force," Jet Star said, his voice quiet, full of compassion and understanding. "Quite often, you hear of other Killjoys getting ghosted by him. You're all lucky that you managed to escape with your lives," he cleared his throat a little when he thought about what had brought about the start of this entire conversation and his dark brown eyes looked at his feel. "Well, I mean..."

"It's okay," Mercurial Crash said, stepping forward to put a gentle hand on Jet Star's shoulder. "We're grateful for both of you being so patient and understanding with us." She offered him a gentle smile, but even Jet Star could tell it was a forced expression.

Lady Luck, who had been uncharacteristically quiet, decided that this was her cue to speak up and add her say to things. "The thing is that we don't actually know if Sonic Zombie is still alive or not," she gave a momentary look at everybody, her gaze lingering on the red haired Zone Six leader before she turned her attention back to inspecting the lace arms of her black jumpsuit. "He basically made himself a distraction to Korse and the S.C.A.R.E.C.R.O.W. Unit, putting himself between them and our escape route so that we could get away with Wolf Venom. After all, Wolf was the only one who knew a sure way out of the mess we had gotten ourselves into."

At her words, a confused expression crossed Jet Star's face. It was rare enough that the Zone Seven Killjoys had decided to flee from a fight – though he knew that they had been completely justified in doing so – but to leave one of their own behind? It seemed just so out of character for all of them to do. Especially for Sugar Fiend, considering that it had been her boyfriend's life on the line.

Wolf Venom seemed to pick up on Jet Star's uncertainties. The tattooed Killjoy cast a glance at Space Biscuit, Mercurial Crash and Lady Luck, gauging if any of the three female Killjoys were going to speak before he addressed Party Poison and Jet Star. "Giving the circumstances of the situation that we had all faced back then, the only way for the majority of us to survive was if somebody could hold off the attackers whilst the rest of us made a break for it. Mercurial Crash's ankle was starting to look quite bad and she required assistance from both Lady Luck and Space Biscuit to mobilise," his grey eyes locked with Party Poison and Jet Star, never wavering. "Back then, I didn't understand the relationship between Sugar Fiend and Sonic Zombie, but I knew she didn't want to leave him there. She urged him not to do anything stupid, and that she was going to stay with him and see things through. Unfortunately, she hadn't been in any fit state to be making any decisions, not after her encounter with Korse. She could barely stand on her own and we needed to get her injuries seen to. Sonic Zombie understood this too and made me promise to get her and the others to safety. It wasn't my place to interfere with his wishes. I had to half-carry Sugar Fiend out of that place. The last I saw of Sonic Zombie was him sealing the locks on the doors as they slid shut, still blasting the hell out of those damned S.C.A.R.E.C.R.O.W.s with scarily good precision."

"If anyone was a good shot out of all of us, it was Sonic Zombie," Mercurial Crash said with a sad smile which quickly faded. "Sugar Fiend won't believe that he's gone though. She still thinks he's alive. And you know what the Zones are like with news and whatnot. There have been on and off reports that Sonic Zombie is being held for information by BL/Ind."

"And what do all of you believe?" Jet Star asked quietly.

"None of us want to accept that he's dead," Lady Luck's voice was firm, determined. It matched the expression on her face. "We're all waiting for the right time to investigate properly. To infiltrate BL/Ind and get to the bottom of things. And if he really is alive, we're going to get him the hell out of there."

There was the fiery determination that the Zone Seven Killjoys were known for. Inwardly, Party Poison breathed a sigh of relief. At least they still had hope. And in the desert, a little hope could take a Killjoy a long way. However, there was still one thing left untold. "So, without trying to sound dumb or rude, what is the connection to Sugar Fiend's ray gun?"

Space Biscuit gave a short, embarrassed laugh. "We seem to have strayed from our initial explanation to you guys, haven't we?" she scratched her head, ruffling her short, pink hair a little. "Sorry about that... So yeah, about her ray gun, have you ever seen it?"

"Can't say I've had the chance to inspect it at close range," Party Poison replied. "Then again, we Killjoys always find it difficult to part with our ray guns, right?"

"Duly noted," Space Biscuit nodded her head. "Well, since that incident, Sugar Fiend had detailed her ray gun with some words that would always remind her of Sonic Zombie. Like a memory. Though, she has never really explained it to us. She doesn't like to talk about the whole subject much. It's understandable."

Ah-ha. And there it was. The answer to Sugar Fiend's seemingly abnormal behaviour. It all clicked into place in Party Poison's head. "Maybe I should go and talk to her..." he mumbled, mostly to himself, but his words had not gone unheard by the others.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" asked Jet Star, arching an eyebrow at his friend and leader. "If she won't talk with the others, she'd probably be disinclined to communicate with you too."

"It's worth a try," Party Poison replied. "I mean, the worst that could happen is that she doesn't talk to me, right? Besides," he quirked a small smirk at Lady Luck. "Some people complain that we don't do courtesy calls to our friends anymore to see if they are still alive." He chuckled to himself when the dark haired Killjoy's cheeks flushed bright red and she suddenly decided that the floor was of personal interest, avoiding eye contact with him.

"Well if that's what you want to do, Party Poison, then we would be grateful for your time," Wolf Venom remarked. "Just be wary. And don't forget to knock before you enter. Let's not forget the time that Fun Ghoul walked in on her changing. I'm sure you don't want a scalpel thrown at you."

The Zone Six leader laughed a little at the memory before he gave a small nod to the others. "Well, I'm sure you can all keep yourselves out of trouble for a while," he grinned at them. "Though try not to cut Jet Star's hair if you get bored, okay?"

"I'm sure I can keep an eye on any antics and nip them in the bud before they occur," Wolf Venom chuckled as Jet Star's eyes widened and he bundled his long, curly locks in his hands as protectively as he could. "We'll catch up with you later, Party Poison."

With a final nod and wave of a hand, the red haired Killjoy separated from the others and made his way through the almost eerily-quiet corridors.


	2. Chapter 2

**Memory**

**Disclaimer: **Unfortunately, I do not own My Chemical Romance or their respective Killjoys. I do, however, have OCs in here that are based upon, and shared, by myself, my good friends, and some of my fellow members of . Please, if for any reason, you would like to use these characters for your own works, drop me a pm and let me know ^_^~  
>I am also aware from Wolfbane17's upcoming fanfic chapter that she has included a few other OC Killjoys into Zone 7. There is still room for these other OC Killjoys in later chapters and upcoming fics, so please make yourselves known to me in a pm if you would like your OC to be in my fics too! =^.^=<p>

**Author's Note: ** Thank you to Wolfbane17 for her inspiration and constant prodding for me to write and update this fic. Please check out her fic, 'Five Times Someone Saved Party Poison and One Time They Couldn't' as I have, with her permission, related to some events mentioned in her fanfic.  
>Thanks to the lovely people that reviewed my first chapter as well! <em>Wolfbane17,<em> I would love for more people to read this fic, so if you could help me out with that, I would be grateful! _xlegnAkraDx_, I'm glad I have exceeded your expectations and hope that I will continue to do so! _AvidPeep_, I really am flattered that you like this fic so much – I hope to continue to please you with my future writing – and I have, at your recommendation, altered the summary a little – thanks! _KilljoyRAWR_, gosh, thank you so much for your lovely review. I hope to continue to please you with my writing – and yes, definitely check out that other fic! _DaddyMakesMeWearLipstick_, because only someone as insane as you would have a username like that – thanks for reviewing... and I'm never leaving my notebook unattended when you are present again! XD  
>Finally, thanks to my boyfriend and friends who have submitted some OC Killjoys to me, and to anyone that posted some awesome compliments on our Killjoy cosplays on the YouTube cosplay video mentioned in my previous chapter and on my bio! ^-^~<p>

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><p><strong>Chapter Two<strong>

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><p>It was hard to believe that this run down place had once been a busy day surgery of a hospital. BLInd sure knew how to make drastic changes in a short time span, didn't they?

Even though he knew that this place seemed safe enough, the Zone Six leader still couldn't help but keep a hand over his yellow ray gun, still holstered at his hip. There was just something that sent a chill down his spine. Maybe it was because he was used to the company of others around him. The Zone Seven base was also a lot bigger than the Diner back in Zone Six. He was clearly out of his comfort zone here. Not to mention the fact that he always liked to stay alert. BL/Ind was notoriously sneaky, and, as unlikely as it seemed, there was still a chance that they could infiltrate a Killjoy base. It was a chance that Party Poison was never willing to take, especially when taking into consideration how many times that he and his own band of Killjoys had been caught off guard by the enemy.

Rounding a corner, Party Poison's hand relaxed just a fraction on his ray gun when he was greeted by a familiar sight. Quietly, he made his way to the bright yellow motorbike, unable to help the slight smile that tugged at the corner of his mouth when he saw the BL/Ind logo with a red prohibited cross running over it and the words '**EXTERMINATE**' through the centre of the red cross. He guessed it was Sugar Fiend's way of putting her own little twist on the 'Exterminate' posters of various Killjoys that littered Battery City and its surrounding Zones.

Stopping in front of the dormant bike, Party Poison could not help but admire the piece of machinery before him. He knew, from a past conversation, that the Zone Seven leader was almost as much of a petrol head as he was. And as possessive over her bike as he was with the Trans-Am. After all, it happened to be parked inside a medical building and right outside the door that lead to her room. The red haired Killjoy took a moment to plan out what he was going to say, before shaking his head and deciding to just go with the flow of things instead. He gave the parked motorbike another look as he walked past it, frowning a little when he saw a particularly nasty set of scrapes that had stripped the paint from the chassis across the right hand side of the body. Inwardly, he hoped that its owner was in a better condition.

Sucking in a small breath, Party Poison remembered to heed Wolf Venom's words of wisdom and knock politely on the door to the Zone Seven leader's room.

Silence.

After a moment, he tried knocking again, a little louder this time, leaning in towards the door to what he guessed was previously an old on call room for clinicians. He straightened up upon hearing some movement and a muffled cursing from within the room. However, after waiting further few minutes, there was no other sign of life. The door did not open.

Frowning now, Party Poison's gloved knuckles rapped loudly against the door, determined not to be ignored.

Suddenly, the door swung inwards with great force.

"What bloody party of 'I need some goddamn time alone' do you not under—oh," Sugar Fiend's stormy glare and aggressive stance faltered and was replaced, almost as quickly as she had appeared, by a more sheepish expression. "Party Poison? I'm sorry. I thought you were someone else," she bit her lip slightly. "Uhm, what are you doing here anyway?"

"A Killjoy can't just drop by and see how his fellow Killjoys are doing?" Party Poison grinned before he saw Sugar Fiend look up at him, quirking an eyebrow. He coughed and pouted. "Don't suppose we could trade with you for some medical supplies?"

The Zone Seven leader gave a small snort, rolling her eyes. "I'm sure Space Biscuit will be able to help negotiate something with you," she said quietly. "At the moment, I have other pressing matters. Sorry."

Party Poison tilted his head at the shorter Killjoy in front of him. Without really thinking about it, he took a step forwards, standing in the doorway, his left foot against the door, preventing Sugar Fiend from any attempts to retreat back into the privacy of her room. Part of him was expecting some kind of sarcastic retort. Instead, he was met with a slightly dark gaze and a deep frown. Taking his chances – and ready to defend himself against a stray kick or punch – the red haired Killjoy spoke again. "You not even going to invite me in for a chat, Sugar Fiend? It's been a while after all," his eyes went to the bloodstained bandages wrapped around her right and. "Plus it looks like you might need a hand redressing that wound."

Sugar Fiend stood there for a moment, unmoving. The two Zone leaders continued to stand there, holding each other's gazes for another couple of minutes before she let out a weary sigh and turned on her heel, waving her good hand dismissively. "Fine, fine. You win, Poison," she snorted, shoulders slumped in resignation as she headed back into the room. "Come in, I guess."

Usually, in a situation like this, Party Poison would have been unable to hold back on a victorious smirk. However, right now, he was genuinely concerned for the other Killjoy. It definitely was not like her to back down so easily. Sugar Fiend was notorious for her stubborn personality. The Zone Six Killjoy stepped into the room, still watching the other Killjoy in front of him as she dropped herself unceremoniously onto the chair by the desk. He frowned. Even her posture was different. It just was not in her nature. The frown still on his face, Party Poison moved across the room and stood slightly behind her. "Fiend, let me have a look at your hand," he said quietly. "I know you're of a medical background but you'll need a hand redressing it."

Again, Sugar Fiend yielded to his request without any protest. A definite sign that all was not well at the moment. As gently as he could, Party Poison took hold of her small hand and started to unwrap the soiled bandages, cringing when he saw the angry red of scorched flesh and fried blood.

Picking up on Party Poison's distress, Sugar Fiend looked up at him. "It's not as bad as it looks," she said quietly in an attempt to reassure him, even though her voice sounded hollow, devoid of emotion. "It just looks that way because it's healing. I'll be fine."

"Will you really?" Party Poison blurted out before he had a chance to think about what he was going to respond with. Oh well, too late now. He might as well carry on with his train of thought. "Y'know, the others are really worried about you," he frowned, inspecting the wound on her hand, making sure that there was no debris left in there. "They said that they haven't been able to talk to you since the fight with some Dracs the other morning," he jerked his head towards the now-closed door. "And I saw the paint damage to your bike on the way here. You sure this hand is the worst of your injuries?"

Sugar Fiend looked up at Party Poison with a small pout. "Some Drac got a lucky shot of me when I rode in blasting yesterday morning," she explained. "The bastard shot my gun out of my hand and I took a spill off my bike because of it. I'm fine. My bike is fine. I just need to put a new lick of paint on her and she's all good again."

Well, at least the Zone Seven Killjoy seemed a little responsive now, even though her voice lacked its usual emotion. At least it was a step in the right direction. Party Poison thought for a moment before he glanced around the room. "You got any clean bandages and sterile water?" he asked before he spotted them on the edge of the desk. "Oh, actually, don't worry," he laughed a little. "I found them." And what a stroke of luck for the red haired Killjoy as he reached out to pick up the roll of bandages and spotted Sugar Fiend's ray gun not more than an inch away from the medical supplies he was after. He could see quite clearly where the purple paint had been blasted from the weapon, along with the tail end of the red dragon that stretched across the side of the gun, and what seemed to be part of some words too.

_- hem back_

Suddenly, the ray gun disappeared from view and Party Poison froze, unaware that he had been reaching out towards the damaged weapon, his gloved hand hovering in mid air. However, he was quick to snap out of his dazed thoughts, already turning around and going for his own ray gun. His actions were abruptly halted when he realised that he was not in danger: Sugar Fiend was standing there, holding her ray gun protectively with her good hand.

"Sugar Fiend, what—"

"I thought you were looking for saline and bandages," she frowned. "What is your business with my gun?"

"I was just assessing the damage," Party Poison's expression nearly matched the female Killjoy's one. "I wasn't going to take it or anything. C'mon, you know me, Fiend," he offered her a small smile. "We're friends, remember?"

Sugar Fiend seemed oddly edgy as she contemplated things over in her head before she set the ray gun back down on her desk. She let out a small huff as she sat herself back down in the chair again, offering her hand towards the Zone Six Killjoy so that he could tend to it again. Party Poison was silent as he picked up some gauze and poured a small amount of saline on it, taking great care as he began to clean around the ray gun burn. His green-brown eyes studied the smaller Killjoy as she sat there, her own dark brown eyes cast downwards at her boots. She seemed lost in her own thoughts.

Once he was done with cleaning the wound, Party Poison set about carefully wrapping it up with bandages. He gave Sugar Fiend's wrist a slight squeeze, attracting her attention so that he could continue to speak with her. "That's pretty neat detailing of your ray gun. It's a shame it was damaged. I hope you will be able to fix it soon," he tightened his grip on her wrist a little more, just in case she tried to bold to avoid further conversation with him. "Though, I couldn't quite make out the wordings on there. What were they?"

As predicted, Sugar Fiend visibly stiffened at his question. Party Poison was no psychic or psychologist, but he definitely caught sight of the anger, hurt and sadness upon her face. Obviously, what had been detailed into her weapon bore a painful and emotional reminder of something. Keeping his grip on her firm, Party Poison's other hand finished wrapping her wound and moved under her chin, tilting her head up to face him.

"Whatever was written on there is obviously important to you," the red haired Killjoy said quietly. "But if you keep things bottled up, it will be worse for you in the long run. And, believe it or not, I can be a good listener." He paused for a moment to observe the other Killjoy. It did not look like she was going to elaborate on things. He tried another tactic, his free hand going to the back of her head, brushing at the red hair there. Sugar Fiend's hair was its natural, oriental black colour at the front. The lower half of the back was bright, almost blood red. Well, it usually was. "Your red's fading a little, Fiend," Party Poison said in a light-hearted tone. He was relieved when he got a pout and a vocal response from her. "I know. I'll sort it out soon." She huffed, ever the sensitive one about the colour of her hair. Party Poison could not help but let out a small chuckle. "So you can still speak, huh, Fiend?" he smiled. "I was starting to worry." His hand dropped from her hair and his expression grew sober again. "But seriously, just think about what I was saying before," he told her. "Don't keep things caged up. Shit will start to build up and then one day, you'll not be able to tolerate it anymore and snap. There are a lot of people around you that care about you. Nobody wants to see you upset," he hesitated, making sure that she was looking at him before he continued. "Sonic Zombie wouldn't want you to be sad, would he?"

At the mention of _that _name, Sugar Fiend snapped to attention. The Zone Seven Killjoy seemed to freeze in place with a sharp intake of breath, eyes wide. For a moment, Party Poison was sure he saw those dark brown eyes glaze over, before Sugar Fiend shut them tightly, shaking her head. And at that point, he knew that he had hit the nail on its head.

"How would you know about how he wants me to be like?" Sugar Fiend questioned, fixing the redhead with a stern glare. "You hardly know him!"

Beneath Sugar Fiend's fiery gaze, Party Poison could see the hurt that lay there. And he understood it. Giving his past, in the times shortly because he had changed his name to 'Party Poison', he had also lost somebody that he had cared deeply for. Two people in his life that he loved, and knew loved him. He had seen their lives cruelly ended right before his eyes. And he was more than familiar with the flurry of emotions that still haunted him, even to this day.

"You're right," he admitted. "I didn't know him very well. But it doesn't mean that I don't understand how _you _feel," he finally let go of her wrist, his hand relocating itself to rest comfortingly upon her shoulder. "It's a horrible feeling to lose someone you love. It's even worse when you have to see them taken from you and you're completely unable to do anything about it," he gave her shoulder a slight squeeze. "Trust me, I've been there myself."

Sugar Fiend sat there, looking up at him, listening to his words in silence. Her previous outburst of built-up frustration and anger had been rather short-lived. Knowing that he finally had her attention, Party Poison continued to speak. "You know me, Fiend. I'm not the type to lie about these things. And from my experience, shutting yourself away will only make matters worse for you in the long run. You'll lose yourself to the grief, no matter how much of an 'I'm alright' mask that you may put on to those around you. And just think about it: If the roles were reversed, would you be happy with him beating himself up over things? I know that in my situation, if it had been me, I would want them to carry on with their lives and be happy."

The red and black haired Killjoy's lips moved, but Party Poison could not quite decipher the words that had been said in a tone barely above a whisper. Sugar Fiend's gaze had once again dropped to the floor. Party Poison frowned a little. "What was that, Fiend?" he asked, his voice encouraging.

"... He said 'Save yourself, I'll hold them back'," Sugar Fiend repeated, her voice cracking slightly. She glanced back up at the taller Killjoy, her dark eyes glistening with the signs of tears. "I tried to stop him... I didn't want to leave him. Those were his last words to me," she clenched her fists tightly, ignoring the pain from her right hand. "That's what he told me... With that _stupid_ grin still on his face. And I couldn't do anything to help him!"

Party Poison was quick to lean forward, wrapping his arms around Sugar Fiend, holding her tight against his chest. It wasn't long before he could hear her sniffle slightly and the fabric of his t-shirt started to feel damp with tears that had been held back for much too long.


	3. Chapter 3

**Memory**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own My Chemical Romance or their respective Killjoys. I do, however, have OCs in here that are based upon, and shared, by myself, my good friends, and some of my fellow members of fanfiction net. Please, if for any reason, you would like to use these characters for your own works, drop me a pm and let me know ^_^~

**Author's Note: **Thanks to Wolfbane17 for keeping me busy in updating this fic. Check out her fic, 'Five Times Someone Saved Party Poison' as the Zone Seven Killjoys are also featured in her fic, as well as her upcoming fic "Keep Running".  
>Thanks to the awesome reviewers too! <em>Wolfbane17,<em> I can't remember why I stopped writing XD Hopefully, I will keep writing if I get more reviews for this fic! And yes, of course you can base our Killjoys in a hospital in your fic! _Invisible-deity_, I'm glad you found this fic – and that you like Space Biscuit too (I still can't get over your text at 6:40am telling me your OC Killjoy name XD) – I hope to improve more on character relationships! _AvidPeep_, Glad that the summary works out better now – and your constructive criticism is always welcome. This chapter's not very action-packed, but the next one will be much meatier! _KilljoyRAWR_, Haha, it's my boyfriend's favourite song from the album, but one of my favourite lyrics. Glad you like the base too – Sugar Fiend's past will be revealed more in upcoming fics. Glad you like the other fic too! _Rilakuma_, thank you so much for your lovely reviews – I'm glad I haven't disappointed you with an OC fic! Wolfbane and I will hopefully be writing more fics that tie in with each other soon! _DaddyMakesMeWearLipstick_, I'm glad you like chapter two. Thanks for lending me your laptop and prodding me to write more too!

Finally, please review! Seriously, reviews definitely spur me on to write – and it's always really nice to hear from people! :3

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><p><strong>Chapter Three<strong>

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><p><em>Love<br>I Forgive U_

The words were short. Simple. The object in which they had been decorated on would have seemed almost insignificant in the days before Better Living Industries had made themselves known.

And yet in this present day, such a small thing meant just so much.

Missile Kid stood there in silence, her small fingers running along the edges of the envelope in her hands before tracing the letters written on the front.

_Mom_

She had written it in her best handwriting. She would not have put any less effort into it. It was the most she could do for the woman who had told her to run for the desert and never look back, no matter what she had heard.

A hand placed itself on her left shoulder. The grip was firm, but not in a harsh way. It was reassuring. And so was the voice that accompanied it.

"You doing okay, Kid?"

Missile Kid looked up and over her shoulder at the owner of the voice. Sometimes, she wished that she could be as fearless and brave as the red haired Killjoy that stood there. However, for now, the most she could manage was a nod and a forced smile.

Party Poison's own smile was warm and understanding in return. He knew how tough it was to let go of loved ones. When he had found out about the mailbox and its significance, it had taken him such a long time to visit it for himself. And even longer before he had revisited it with two of his own letters in his hand.

"Take your time, Kid," he advised, patting the frizzy haired Killjoy's shoulder gently. "This is the hardest part. Letting go. After this, things will get better. I promise you."

The young Killjoy nodded her head at Party Poison's words. Her right hand moved up towards the hand upon her shoulder, clinging to it. She knew she had to be brave to carry out what she was doing. Maybe by holding onto Party Poison like this would help her draw some courage from the Zone Six leader.

Not so far from the two Killjoys, Kobra Kid leaned back against the stationary Trans-Am, folding his arms across his chest. Letting out a small huff, he massaged out the kinks in his neck and pushed his sunglasses back up onto the bridge of his nose. He glanced over his shoulder, where Jet Star and Fun Ghoul were sitting in the slight shade that was the back of the Trans-Am. They were both quiet (unnaturally quiet in Fun Ghoul's case). Kobra Kid figured it was out of respect.

The sound of engines in the distance caught his attention. Kobra Kid's head snapped up and in the direction of the approaching sound, his hand pulling his ray gun free of its holster. No less than a few seconds later, Fun Ghoul and Jet Star had popped up from the open top of the Trans-Am, ray guns also at the ready.

"Stand down."

From behind his sunglasses, Kobra Kid's eyes widened at his brother's words. Party Poison's voice had been firm and yet he had not raised his voice. Neither had he turned to look at his comrades, keeping his attention on Missile Kid, still trying to comfort and console her.

"Party, what-"

"The engine sounds are familiar enough for me to know that we're not in danger," Party Poison answered Kobra Kid's question before he could finish it. "Don't worry, Kobra. They're friends."

Unconvinced, the bleach-blonde Killjoy did not holster his ray gun. Instead, he turned his attention back to the lone, desert road that was Route Guano. Sure enough, after a few more minutes, the two specs on the moisture-blurred horizon started to become more recognisable: A bright yellow motorbike with an old, slightly beat up military jeep soon came into view. Kobra Kid, satisfied that the oncoming vehicles posed no threat (at least not to them), reholstered his ray gun and finally pushed himself away from the Trans-Am, ready to greet the newcomers as they approached.

"She's looking good," Kobra Kid nodded at the yellow bike as its owner slowed it to a stop, kicked out the stand and dismounted. "I see that Ghoul managed to find just the right colour to patch her up," he snorted a little and tapped his head. "Though I thought you knew better than to ride without a helmet."

"Only if you give me yours, Kobra," Sugar Fiend flashed a cheeky grin at him in response. "You don't even own a bike."

"Touché!" laughed Space Biscuit as she opened the driver's side door of the jeep and jumped out. She was soon followed by Wolf Venom, who had been sat in the front passenger's seat. Rocketship Dropout and Little Red hopped out from the canvassed back of the old military vehicle to join them.

Kobra Kid tilted his head to one side questioningly. "Where are Mercurial Crash and Lady Luck?"

"Someone's gotta keep the base safe," Little Red shook out her long, red and black hair out. "It's their turn to keep an eye on things."

As Kobra Kid continued his conversation with Little Red, Fun Ghoul and Jet Star exited the Trans-Am. The tattooed Killjoy made his way over to where Sugar Fiend stood; slightly away from the rest of the Killjoys, watching Missile Kid and Party Poison in silence. Standing next to her, he cleared his throat to attract her attention. "You alright, Fiend?"

Sugar Fiend gave a small nod. "Doing better," she replied as she turned her head to look at him. "I've had a couple of sleepless nights but I'm improving," she offered him a smile. "Thanks for the paint for my bike, Ghoul. She looks as good as new now."

Fun Ghoul laughed a little. "Not a problem," he grinned. "That's what friends are for, right?"

"Right." Sugar Fiend nodded in agreement. She let out a small sigh before turning her attention back to the scene before them. "So this is the famous letterbox, huh?" she snorted a little as she rolled her eyes. "Wait, I forgot. Party Poison laughed at me for calling it that. It's a _mailbox_ to you guys, isn't it?"

"You crazy Brits and your crazy terms for things!" Fun Ghoul chuckled. Sugar Fiend couldn't help but grin and give him a playful punch in the arm. "I think it's _you _crazy Americans too!" she stuck her tongue out at him. However, her smile soon faded to a more solemn expression.

"Isn't it funny?" she wondered aloud. "How something that we would have taken for granted in the days before BL/Ind took over, can be so meaningful and symbolic now?" her dark brown eyes scanned the bright colours used to embellish the letterbox, reading the words written there.

_Love  
>I Forgive U<em>

"Party Poison told me about this place the last time he and Jet Star came to visit us in Zone Seven," Sugar Fiend continued. "A letter for a lost one goes into the letterbox. I wonder just how many letters to the departed are in there already."

Fun Ghoul nodded his head at Sugar Fiend's words. It was the only way a Killjoy could get any closure these days. It was sad, but at the same time, it wasn't like they had much of a choice. The only active cemetery – well, crematorium – that Fun Ghoul was aware of was situated in Battery City. It seemed that even the BL/Ind-pill-fed 'citizens' of Battery City were also not given much of a choice as to how they could say goodbye to their dearly departed.

The tattooed Killjoy shook his head in sadness and disbelief before he put a hand on Sugar Fiend's shoulder. He had known Sonic Zombie well enough to understand how close he and Sugar Fiend were. He was also vaguely aware of the visit and conversation between Party Poison and Sugar Fiend a few weeks ago, when the Zone Six leader had travelled to Zone Seven with Jet Star. Putting that together with the fact that Party Poison had informed Sugar Fiend of this place...

"Did you bring your own letter, Fiend?" Fun Ghoul enquired. He was curious. Was Sugar Fiend finally giving up and assuming that Sonic Zombie was dead? It seemed awfully out of character for her to give up on her missing boyfriend. And she had always been so adamant that he was still alive, being held somewhere in the BL/Ind headquarters, deep in the bowels of Battery City. That being said, Fun Ghoul was also not completely up to speed with exactly what it was that Party Poison had said to the Zone Seven leader during their conversation. And now to hear that Sugar Fiend had come out to this place because Party Poison had told her about it...

His thoughts were quelled when Sugar Fiend shook her head in reply. "No letter," she told him. "But I had heard about this place before. And Party Poison told me, during our last encounter, where this place was. Or rather, it's rough location. I just wanted to check it out for myself. Things have been a little slow going as of recent and a few of us," she smiled and tilted her head in the direction of Wolf Venom, Space Biscuit, Rocketship Dropout and Little Red. "We were getting a little restless. So I figured we needed a little road trip."

"I see." Fun Ghoul nodded. He was not sure how he actually felt about the situation now. He guessed that he was pretty glad that Sugar Fiend had not yet given up on looking for Sonic Zombie. However, he also understood the pressure and stress of knowing that someone she loved was still out there and was being detained by the enemy still rested on her conscience.

Sugar Fiend seemed to pick up on his thoughts, placing her hand over his, still resting on her shoulder, offering him a smile. "Don't worry about me, Ghoul. I'll be fine," she told him. "I'm okay. Trust me," she gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. "I'm not going to say goodbye to anyone yet. It isn't the right time."

Fun Ghoul continued to look at the female Killjoy in a scrutinising manner, looking for any signs of lies or distress. Not being able to see any of the aforementioned emotions, the tattooed Killjoy nodded his head in self-satisfaction. "Just promise me you'll talk to someone if you need to, alright?"

"Agreed." Sugar Fiend said before she glanced back at Missile Kid and Party Poison. She sighed. Missile Kid was what? Ten years old? And there she stood, slipping the small envelope into the letterbox, giving her final goodbyes to a loved one. She was too young to be saying any kind of goodbyes. Too young to be surrounded by the current affairs of Better Living Industries. And definitely too young to be involved first-hand in all the violent disputes taking place these days. Sugar Fiend wondered if Missile Kid even knew what a 'normal' childhood would have been like.

_As if you would know a normal childhood from your personal experiences, Fiend..._

The Zone Seven Killjoy shook the thoughts from her head, hesitating for a moment before she walked forwards and towards Missile Kid and Party Poison. She could already see the child's eyes shining with tears as she clung to the red haired Killjoy. Tentatively, she reached out a hand and placed it comfortingly upon the young Killjoy's shoulder. "I'm so sorry, Kid." She said quietly.

It took a moment for Missile Kid to respond to the Zone Seven leader. The youngest Killjoy rubbed at her eyes almost furiously, scrunching her nose a little, before looking up at the red and black haired Killjoy.

"Don't be," she said, her voice barely audible. "Mom would want me to be happy."

Sugar Fiend glanced briefly to Party Poison at Missile Kid's almost all too familiar words. The young Killjoy definitely had a good guardian. And there were several more behind him. Turning her attention back to Missile Kid, Sugar Fiend gave her shoulder a small pat and offered her a smile. "Yeah, I'm sure she would want you to be happy too. I'm sure wherever she is, she will be proud to see what a brave girl you are."

"I want to be braver. Like Party Poison." The words were so child-like. Innocent. Maybe the nuclear blasts and BL/Ind had not completely stripped children like Missile Kid of their innocence. It was a small but sure feeling of reassurance. And giving the current situation, Sugar Fiend was content that all had not been completely lost.

"I'm sure it won't be much longer before you're even braver than him, right?" Sugar Fiend gave Party Poison a mischievous wink. The red haired Killjoy laughed and shook his head. "Stop encouraging her, Fiend."

With a small laugh of her own, Sugar Fiend patted Missile Kid's shoulder again and turned to regroup with the rest of her Killjoys. From the sounds of things, maybe Fun Ghoul or Kobra Kid had taken a joke too far and had unintentionally started a confrontation with Little Red. After all, the aforementioned Zone Seven Killjoy was notorious for her 'anger management issues' – as everyone like to refer to them as.

As she headed back towards the others, something caught her eye. Pausing in her tracks, Sugar Fiend lifted a hand up, shielding her eyes as she squinted toward the horizon, her other hand going to her ray gun. Someone was standing there in the distance, atop a pile of rocks and rubble. The red and black haired Killjoy frowned. Whatever it was, it didn't have the signature white Drac or S.C.A.R.E.C.R.O.W. uniform. However, something still seemed very off.

Without further hesitation, Sugar Fiend started a brisk walk towards the stranger. Whoever they were, they seemed quite content to just stay where they were. As she got closer, her hand tightened even more on her holstered ray gun. Her eyes started to make out more details of the stranger standing there: Long, almost wavy brown hair. The stranger was definitely female. Well-dressed. She pushed her glasses up a little, adjusting them on the bridge of her nose with a cruel smile. And at that moment, Sugar Fiend's dark brown eyes widened and she drew in a sharp breath of realisation, frozen in place in shock.

The abrupt movement – or rather, the sudden halt – was all it took for the stranger to know that she had been recognised. In a flash, she turned on her heel and leapt from the rubble she had been standing on, disappearing behind the rocks for a moment before there was the sound of engines starting. A few seconds later, there was the squealing of tires as a BL/Ind company car peeled away from where it had been hidden behind the crumbled boulders, followed closely by two Dracs on motorbikes.


	4. Chapter 4

**Memory**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own My Chemical Romance or their respective Killjoys. I do, however, have OCs in here that are based upon, and shared, by myself, my good friends, and some of my fellow members of fanfiction net. Please, if for any reason, you would like to use these characters for your own works, drop me a pm and let me know ^_^~

**Author's Note: **Thanks to Wolfbane17 for making sure I update this fic. Check out her fic, 'Five Times Someone Saved Party Poison' as the Zone Seven Killjoys are also featured in her fic, as well as her upcoming fic "Keep Running".  
>This is actually the last chapter of this fic – so I'd like to say a big thank you to everyone that's been reading until now! I definitely want to continue to write, though at the moment, I'm a little stuck on what to write next – suggestions are always welcome ;-)<br>Oh! I know this sounds cliché, but please review! Seriously, reviews definitely spur me on to write – and it's always really nice to hear from people! :3  
>As for the reviewers since the last chapter: <em>XxMissileKidxX<em>, I'm glad you like the fic so far, as well as Little Red. I definitely plan to use your OC again in future fics, if that's alright with you? _DaddyMakesMeWearLipstick_, Yeah, I was always fascinated by the mailbox in the 'NaNaNa' video! W_olfbane17_, I'm glad I got the interactions to your liking! You will meet them soon enough! _AvidPeep_, Always glad to throw in an effective plot twist! Thank you for your continued support – it's really appreciated! _Invisible-deity_, I'm really glad that this is working out well so far. I will definitely try and work on the transitions! Haha! I thought you would like the jeep!

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><p><strong>Chapter Four<strong>

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><p>"Hey, c'mon people! Break it up already!" Space Biscuit yelled as she, Wolf Venom and Jet Star tried to get in between Little Red and Fun Ghoul. The short Zone Six Killjoy was struggling against the restraining arms of Kobra Kid, whilst Little Red fought ferociously to break free from Rocketship Dropout's grip. Who would have thought such simple jokes and banter would have gotten so out of hand?<p>

"Seriously, Red, I'm sure Fun Ghoul didn't mean what he said!" Rocketship Dropout tried to placate her irate friend. After all, Little Red was both older and stronger than her.

"Well, then he should take it back, suck it up and apologise!" Little Red retorted. "Before I make him!"

Fun Ghoul snarled at her words. Opening his mouth to snap back a retort, his voice was drowned out by the sudden, unexpected sound of an engine starting up. All seven Killjoys ceased activity to snap their heads in the source of the sound. They were all just in time to see a cloud of sand and dirt kick up following an aggressive rev of a throttle as Sugar Fiend took off down Route Guano, the red dragon logo dancing along the back of her purple leather trench coat as it billowed out behind her.

"What the hell is she-" Little Red's demands were cut off abruptly as Party Poison ran past and towards the Trans-Am, Missile Kid hot on his heels.

"Get in the car!" he barked as he helped Missile Kid into the back of the car before he jumped into the driver's seat. The Zone Six leader knew he did not have to repeat himself: Just seconds later, the chassis of the Trans-Am shifted slightly as Kobra Kid, Jet Star and Fun Ghoul leapt into the car too. Jet Star, ever the cautious one, made sure that Missile Kid was securely strapped in as Party Poison started up the engine, engaged the shift stick and spun the wheel as he slammed his foot on the gas, sending the rear end of the Trans-Am fish-tailing around before they set off after Sugar Fiend.

Rocketship Dropout, Wolf Venom, Space Biscuit and Little Red stood coughing from the dust cloud that the Trans-Am had kicked up.

"Anyone wanna tell me what the hell just happened?" Little Red frowned, exchanging a somewhat bewildered glance with an equally confused Rocketship Dropout.

"Whatever it is, I don't think the problem is here," Wolf Venom said in a calculative voice. "Or Sugar Fiend would have warned us to arm ourselves. She looked like she was after something. Or someone," he nodded at the others. "I think we better get after her before she does anything... reckless."

"_What the hell is this?"_

"'_This'? Come on. I thought you were all smarter than that. This, my dear friends, is my salvation."_

"_The heck are you talking about? Salvation my ass!"_

Sugar Fiend's hands gripped the handles of her motorbike so hard that the skin on her knuckles – visible on her fingerless gloves – started to turn white.

_"You set us up, you bitch! What the hell is wrong with you?"_

"_Me? What's wrong with all of you? Staying in hiding, eating dog food and living like desert rats."_

"_Hey! I happen to like rats!"_

"_Shut up, Space Biscuit. Nobody asked for your worthless information."_

Gritting her teeth, Sugar Fiend shifted her foot on the gear of the motorbike, pulling her ray gun out with one hand, getting ready to take aim at what was in front of her. Just how long had they been spied on like this? It was alarming that none of them had noticed her standing there, back at the mailbox. Security was definitely going to have to be tightened when they got back to Zone Seven. The red and black haired Killjoy hoped that Mercurial Crash and Lady Luck were alright back at their base.

A shot rang out, the superheated ray gun blast narrowly missing her head, bringing Sugar Fiend's attention back to the present situation. Growling under her breath, the Zone Seven leader aimed her gun as steadily as she could whilst still riding at speed, trying to close the distance between herself and the BL/Ind team in front of her. Pulling the trigger, Sugar Fiend drew in a sharp intake of breath and cursed as she quickly reholstered her ray gun, using both hands to steer her bike out of the way of the tumbling Drac that she had just shot – and then again to dodge the skidding, spinning BL/Ind motorcycle as it slid out of control across the tarmac, angry hot sparks flying up as metal ground against the well-worn road in an angry protest.

The commotion had most certainly caused concern to the occupants of the BL/Ind car. The front passenger's window rolled down as another Drac slid halfway out of the vehicle, firing its ray gun at the Zone Seven Killjoy. No sooner had that Drac started shooting, another one rolled down the window in the seat behind the driver, also taking aim. For now, it seemed _she _was not making any moves, letting the Dracs fight for her instead.

"Coward!" Sugar Fiend roared as she pulled out her ray gun again to return fire.

_"So this is how you want to live? You want to give up everything you ever stood for just because you can't take not sleeping in a hotel or having the little luxuries in life that we used to before BL/Ind started all this crap? By the way, in case you haven't noticed, you've chosen to side with the company that started all this shit?"_

"_I think it's better than cowering in the desert, eating dog food and any other scraps that you come across."_

"_And you think they're going to continue to pamper you like this? You're still a Killjoy!"_

"_Was. And no longer am. Besides, I'm of great use to them. I'm too valuable for them to dispose of."_

"_One day, you're going to run out of use to them."_

"_A shame none of you will be around to see if that's true. Am I right, Korse?"_

"Party, what the hell just happened?" Kobra Kid demanded as he cast a concerned frown towards his brother. "Why'd she just take off like that?"

"I don't know," the Zone Six leader's brow furrowed as he thought for an answer for himself. "Whatever it is, Fiend sure seemed-WOAH!"

Party Poison's green-brown eyes widened as he jerked the wheel of the Trans-Am sharply to the right before swerving the car to the left again, its back end skidding as he fought to straighten the vehicle back on its original course.

"Dude! What the fu-" Fun Ghoul's angry voice was cut off to irate muffles as Jet Star quickly leaned over and clapped his hand firmly over the tattooed Killjoy's mouth. He would be damned if Missile Kid was going to pick up on any swears again. Deciding to continue Fun Ghoul's question, with less colourful vocabulary, the frizzy haired Killjoy spoke up. "I think what Ghoul was trying to say was what just possessed you to do that?"

"I'm guessing you three didn't see from back there," Kobra Kid replied on his brother's behalf, looking a little pale from their close encounter. "Looks like we know why Fiend took off in a hurry. You can thank my brother's good reflexes that we didn't just collide with one dead Drac and its trashed bike."

In the back of the Trans-Am, Missile Kid looked from Jet Star to Fun Ghoul with her wide, innocent eyes, noticing how the two Killjoys on either side of her had fallen quiet. She didn't quite understand exactly what was going on, but judging by the uncomfortable atmosphere in the car, she knew that things were pretty serious. And, if anything, she was sure that she could feel the Trans-Am accelerating even more than before. Glancing at the red haired Killjoy in the driver's seat, she could see that Party Poison's posture was tense.

"Don't you think we should warn the others about the obstacles on the road?" asked Jet Star, ever the one to be concerned for the safety of other people.

Party Poison shook his head in response, never taking his eyes off the road ahead. "Normally, I would," he replied with a frown. "However, I have a pretty bad feeling about all of this. We need to catch up with Fiend. Besides," he managed to force a small smirk. "I'm sure Space Biscuit will be a careful driver."

"Jeez, Space Biscuit! Is this how all of you crazy people from the UK drive, or just you?" Little Red yelled, clinging to the side of the jeep for dear life as it swerved precariously.

"I believe it's probably wise not to upset the driver," Wolf Venom remarked before he daringly stuck his head out of the speeding military vehicle, glancing back at the way they had just come. "Especially if she's dodging Drac road kill."

"Did you just say _Drac_?" yelped Rocketship Dropout from the back of the jeep, her eyes wide beneath her purple mask.

"You heard correct," Wolf Venom ducked back into the safety of the jeep's interior. "Though I'm not sure if that had been the doing of Fiend, or our friends from Zone Six," his grey eyes shifted to Space Biscuit as she concentrated on the road. "I know I'll probably regret saying this, but you might want to put your foot down even more. Dracs usually mean trouble."

"You don't have to tell me twice." Space Biscuit gave a sharp nod of her head as she shifted gears and slammed her foot aggressively back onto the gas pedal.

Letting out a string of profanities under her breath, Sugar Fiend steered the bike sharply to the right, shifting as much of her weight in the same direction as she dodged out of the way of the dead Drac that had been shoved from the rear passenger's side of the BL/Ind car in front of her. She was sure that she could head and feel something in its arm _crack_ beneath her bikes tires and could not help but wince a little at the thought of the damage done – even if it was to the enemy.

Suddenly, the remaining motorbike-mounted Drac seemed to change its tactic; rapidly decelerating so that the Zone Seven leader shot straight past it, before accelerating again, sandwiching the red and black haired Killjoy between itself and the BL/Ind car.

Sugar Fiend's eyes narrowed as she glanced over her shoulder. It was not like a Drac to come up with a decent idea like that. Maybe this one still retained a little brain power. After all, Dracs used to be free-willed humans, did they not?

Ray gun fire erupted again. This time, it came from both in front and behind. Not good. The Zone Seven Killjoy knew that it would only be a matter of time before one of the Dracs got a lucky shot in.

There was not much time to dwell on that, however, as the BL/Ind car suddenly slowed, almost causing Sugar Fiend to crash right into the back of it. Gritting her teeth, she did not have much of a choice but to also apply the brakes. In turn, this closed the gap even more between her, the BL/Ind car in front, and the Drac from behind. If this kept up, she was going to be ghosted in no time.

With another glance over her shoulder and a few pot shots at the biker Drac, Sugar Fiend decided to take a risk, manoeuvring sharply to the right and hitting the throttle, moving alongside the black BL/Ind car. Switching her ray gun to her left hand – closer to the car – the Zone Seven Killjoy blasted at the car and its occupants, managing to shatter the glass in the back window. Her dark brown eyes widened. The only occupant in the rear of the car was a single Drac with a gun, who she quickly took care of.

There was a sudden, white hot flash of pain in her right upper arm. Sugar Fiend barely had enough time to yelp out, before she felt her bike nudged sharply to one side. She was not sure exactly what happened next, but she figured that she must have leapt off her motorbike to avoid being pinned underneath it as its side scraped against the road with a horrible screeching sound, sending hot sparks flying. The impact of hitting the tarmac and desert sand at speed was definitely not a pleasant one and the Zone Seven leader was sure that she must have blacked out for a moment or so because when she next opened her eyes, her vision was met with a pair of black combat boots. Blinking to try and clear her blurry vision, Sugar Fiend looked up to see that it was a Drac.

Alarm shot up her spine and she tried to roll to her feet, hissing sharply as pain shot through her already injured shoulder.

"I wouldn't move if I were you, _Sugar Fiend_."

The red and black haired Killjoy's head snapped up in a mixture of shock and hate. The Drac standing before her let out a laugh as it lifted a hand towards its mask, pulling it off. Beneath the synthetic vampire mask was a female with long, brown, wavy hair, glasses and a cruel smile. Behind her, Sugar Fiend could see a BL/Ind motorbike. So that was the plan all along? She was never in the car. No wonder it seemed a little off that a Drac could be so cunning without receiving instructions.

"You..." the Zone Seven Killjoy managed to growl through gritted teeth. She made another attempt to push herself off the dusty, sandy ground, letting out a gasp as blinding pain shot through her shoulder. She knew this feeling. She had dislocated her shoulder some years ago and the current sensations were horribly familiar. Her eyes scouted the nearby ground for her ray gun. To her disdain, the purple weapon was nowhere in sight. Narrowed dark brown eyes cast upwards again at the smirking figure standing over her. "What the hell do you want, you bitch?"

The female 'Drac' threw her head back with a short laugh. "Really, Fiend," she chuckled. "Is that any way to great an old friend?" she crouched over the Zone Seven Leader. "I was just in the neighbourhood when I spotted all of you, so I figured I would stop by and see how you were all doing. Still enjoying living like desert rats, I see. Not gotten bored of eating Power Pup yet?"

Refusing to humour the female 'Drac' for now, Sugar Fiend's only response was a heated glare.

The wavy haired brunette let out a snort. "Still as stubborn as ever, huh?" she leaned closer to the prone Zone Seven leader. "I think it'll be more fun to break you than it was messing up your precious _Sonic Zombie_."

It was almost as if an electrical shock had jolted up her spine and momentarily numbed the pain she was in. Sugar Fiend's uninjured arm shot forward, fingers latching onto her enemy's hair as she jerked her head towards her, meeting the damned brunette's face with her head. The Zone Seven leader let out a satisfied snort as she heard a wet _crunch_ before her adversary made a muffled cry. Letting go, she could already see blood dripping onto the sand. She was pleased that it was not hers.

"You broke my nose, you _bitch_!" yelped the female 'Drac', her voice and words slightly muffled by her hands over her face. Acting before the Zone Seven Killjoy could respond, she was quick to lash out; her black combat boot connecting solidly with the red and black haired Killjoy's side, sure that she felt something give under the force of the blow, knocking the Zone Seven leader back across the ground. With a small huff and a wipe of the back of her hand across her bloodied nose, she walked over to the winded Killjoy, applying her boot to her opponent's damaged shoulder as she leered down at her, her light blue eyes burning.

"I should kill you, Sugar Fiend," she said in a low voice. "There will be a nice reward for your head. But I think I would much rather have some fun with you first," she reached into her pocket with one hand. "Take away everything and everyone you ever cared about. Break you. And then, when you're begging on your hands and knees, I might consider putting you out of your misery. _Might_."

The object in her hand dropped onto the sand in front of the Zone Seven leader, just as a ray gun blast whizzed through the air.

"Get away from her, you crazy-ass bitch!"

Sugar Fiend immediately recognised the voice to be Kobra Kid's. Through the dizzy haze of pain, she felt some relief wash through her.

"We'll meet again, Sugar Fiend."

"You can count on it..." Sugar Fiend rasped out through gritted teeth. She felt the pressure leave her shoulder before she heard the running of footsteps, moving away from her, followed closely by the sound of an engine starting up.

Letting out a shaky sigh, the injured Killjoy closed her eyes for a while, trying to will the throbbing pain and nausea to stop. She was vaguely aware of the screeching of tires, accompanied by an almost aggressive roar of an engine and a second sound of protesting rubber against tarmac. Forcing her eyes open for a moment, her good arm reached out towards the object that they brunette had dropped there. As her fingers tightened around it, she felt a new pain in her chest as she recognised what it was.

"Fiend!"

"Jeez! What the hell happened? Jet! Red! Get your asses over here!"

There was the thudding of footsteps, the noise a steady crescendo as they grew closer, coming to an abrupt halt next to her.

"Sugar Fiend! Talk to me. What happened?"

Gentle hands helped to lift her from her prone position, turning her so that she was resting against someone's lap.

"Fiend? Can you hear me?"

She blinked her eyes open at the sound of the voice.

"... Zombie...?"

"Fiend, it's me. Party Poison." The blurry swirl of colours soon took shape before her, revealing it to be the Zone Six leader.

"She's got a ray gun wound to her right upper arm," Jet Star frowned. "I think her right shoulder's dislocated, but we gotta remove her jacket to be sure. We should take her back to Doctor D. I'm worried about her breathing. She might have a broken rib."

"We've got plenty of medical facilities in Zone Seven," Little Red countered. "Surely, she'd be better there."

"Fiend..." Space Biscuit's face hovered into view. "Who the hell did this? We saw someone running from here..."

At her friend's words, Sugar Fiend's grip on the metallic object in her hand tightened. The pink haired Killjoy seemed to notice this and her fingers gently pried the item from her friend's hand. Her eyes widened in shock. "Fiend... These are..."

"I found her ray gun!" Rocketship Dropout came running over to where everyone seemed to have gathered, skidding to a stop next to Space Biscuit. "She cocked her head to one side. "What are those, Biscuit?"

"Dog tags," Wolf said quietly, peering over at the shining, engraved metal plates. He frowned. "I've seen those before."

"They belong to Sonic Zombie," Space Biscuit's eyes narrowed. "Fiend... was he here?"

The Zone Seven leader shook her head weakly. She could feel herself on the brink of passing out from the pain now. "She dropped them here..."

"Who?" Space Biscuit demanded. Her body was starting to shake with anger. Noticing this, Wolf Venom placed a hand on her shoulder in an attempt to comfort her. It helped. But only a little.

Sugar Fiend closed her eyes, feeling Party Poison support her head as she started to lose consciousness. The last thing she could remember was her own voice whispering a single name.

"... Renegade Turncoat..."

**A/N: Well, I'm sad to say that's the end of 'Memory'. Once again, thank you so much for reading! Reviews are really appreciated! And until the next fic (whenever I can figure out what to write next), it's ciao for now! Keep Running, Crash Queens and Motor Babies! =^.^=~**


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